Everyday Lutherans

Our Gospel lesson today, is one that is needed to hear at this time in our lives. Turning on the evening news and we are overwhelmed with statistics of what is going on in the world. We go through the list of countries and we are more and more aware that we are in this world together. We see numbers growing higher and higher. We bear witness to the reality of this world, we are in a broken world. What I think that we often forget is that each and everyone of those numbers represent a life. Each one of the single digits represent a person who has a family, who is a son or daughter, who comes from a family, and who was on this journey of life and faith just as you and I are today. Today, our gospel lesson could be happening in China, Italy, Spain, or even here in the US. A family gathered together, bearing witness to a loved one suffering and dying. In the midst of it all, they are wondering where is God in it all. They are overcome by grief. Then their loved one dies. The family m...

We are in the midst of Lent. A time of reflection, a time of greater understanding about our faith and life, and a time for us to really understand God. I know many people are struggling with these obstacles and challenges that we are facing now. People have a desire to be with one another but also a fear if a person were to infect me with this virus. We are told to isolate, quarantine and prepare, words that spark within us more anxiety and fear. I have heard many people on social media, news, and other sources that echo the beginning of our gospel. “Who is to blame?” We want an answer and yet in the midst of the crisis that is not always where we find the solution. So it is this gospel today that we share that can help us to better understand what it is Christ is calling us to do. Jesus stands in the midst of the crowds of people and the people know a truth, that this man has been blind from the very beginning, he was born this way. For the whole of his life, this man was tre...

Today we hear a very familiar story of the woman at the well. I am sure that many of you have heard this story once, twice, or even twenty times before. It is a very important story within the Christian faith. Now just because it is a familiar does not mean that we can not dive in deep and find greater meaning. We can understand more about the people, the concepts and ideas that are shared among these people so that we can learn and grow even more for our own life. We can dive into the aspects that truly stand out to us. It has as much meaning as it did then when it happened as it does to us today. Jesus comes and speaks to a Samaritan woman in the noonday heat. In order to truly understand this story, a person should truly understand why Jews and Samaritans did not spend time together. The story goes back hundreds of years. When the people were taken out of the Promised Land of their Ancestors. Here, there were the twelve tribes of Israel, the Chosen People of God. It was this...

Throughout the years of teaching confirmation, Bible study, and hearing people’s questions of faith. i have answered a lot of questions. More often than not, people are seeking to put God and God’s Word into their own understanding of what God is trying to say to them. People are also striving to take the message and apply it to their own life. Yet sometimes it comes down to not having the answer because the question is one that can not be answered. Today, we hear about a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a leader within the Jewish Temple, he was a man who knew the Scriptures and knew that God was still having a relationship with the people in the world. As a leader in the Temple, he was a person who others would come to ask questions. Nicodemus was a person who people expected to have answers to their difficult questions. Nicodemus hears about the works that Jesus is performing for the people. How Jesus is able to share lessons of wise counsel to people, having large crowds com...

Today within the gospel, we hear of Jesus going into the wilderness and fasting. Now fasting is something that we think about in terms of fasting from food, from the sustenance that we need in order to survive. You stay away from your typical diet but you are allowed to drink water. However, there is something that needs to be clarified, when a person fasts, there are different ways of fasting. For many of our Catholic brothers and sisters, during Lent, they will fast from any forms of meat but then on Fridays, they are able to eat fish. This was a way for the Catholic people to be able to celebrate in a small way the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. So I share all of this with you because even when we talk about Jesus fasting in the Gospel and people fasting within Scripture, there is a distinct reason and purpose for them to put their bodies, their stomachs, and their lives through this experience. The purpose of fasting can also determine what it is you are trying to re...

Your phone rings and it is your child’s number. “Hi Timmy, what are you up to?” The voice on the other end is not your son, Timmy. “Hello, Mrs. Johnson, this is the Sheriff's Office. I am calling to let you know that your son was involved in an automobile accident. Can you find someone to bring you to the First Memorial Hospital?” You have to sit down. You can not believe what it is you just heard. “Yes, I will be there.” Nothing else matters right now, you want to get to the hospital there for your son. Ellen saw you on the phone and that you had to sit down. She comes over and asks if everything is alright. “I need to get to First Memorial Hospital.” Ellen understands and gets you there. You get to the ER and Timmy is there on a hospital bed, awake, but you can see the scrapes. Timmy says, “I am so sorry about the car. I will buy a new one.” None of that matters though. What matters is he is there and you are there, together. Ash Wednesday comes in the midst of our busy l...

When I was growing up, I had posters of baseball players because for years, I wanted to play baseball for the rest of my life.  I mean think about it. You get to hang out with your friends, play baseball and just have fun. That sounded like a great life to live.  Now I loved the Chicago Cubs, I know remember I was young. So when I determined that I wanted to be a baseball player, I would imitate what they did.  If they chewed Bubble gum, I wanted to chew bubblegum. They had a cool glove, I needed a cool glove. They wore high socks, I wore high socks. They ran drills, I wasn’t there yet.   Now looking back on it now as an adult, I realize how foolish it is.  But at the same time, I believed that I could do it. If I imitated that life style, I could be that.  For many of us, as we grow up, our dreams and lifestyle are challenged. We realize we will not be able to play for the major league baseball league,  we realize we will not play in the NBA, ...

Prayer - This is a basic one but also is one of the hardest things for us to do.  Whether it is personal prayer or praying with others. We often do not do this, but it is the connection that we have with God.  The way in which we share with God what is on our hearts and minds, but also to take the time to listen to what God is sharing with us.   Worship - This is similar to prayer, is so basic but often times we determine; what am I getting out of it.  However, it is not about YOU. Worship is a means of being with others. It is to be in the presence of God, but also being with others to know that we are not alone.  We are in a community. Tonight, we begin a series of conversations and reflections based on key aspects that a disciple does in order continue to strive on this journey of faith.  For many of us, we go through the motions of our faith but we need sometimes to come back to the root of meaning so that we can be encouraged, correct ourselves, and even support one another ...

Today, we hear of the rather familiar parable known as the Prodigal Son.  Now just because it is a familiar parable does not mean that we fully understand it, or that we have taken that meaning and are living out that meaning.  So today, we look at this parable once again. Within the parable, it is important to note that when the son comes and asks for his half of the inheritance, the son is truly desiring the death of his father and that his father would have no influence upon his life anymore.  The son, wanting all the wealth that would be given to him at a future date at the death of his father, is informing his dad I don’t want you in my life anymore. My life would be better without you in it. However, in a heartbreaking act, the father does give the inheritance to the son. Gathering money and wealth all so that this son could go off and live his life the way that he would want and with complete disregard for what the father had learned within his own life. Now I want yo...

Tonight as we continue our journey of Marks of Discipleship, our focus is on serving.  This is where our faith moves us to action. Words on a page and a calling by God need to also have a physical side that reinforces the messages and allows us to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.  This is one of those areas though too where you can do the work but without the head and heart involved, it is something that can be exhausting will feel more like a job rather than something that enriches your life by living out one's faith.   Now at this church, we do a lot of this and it is one of our favorite times to do be united together and help those who are in need.  Through God’s Work, Our Hands Sunday, we have been able to mobilize the whole congregation. We have realized the importance and love that day that we are able to be united, feel productive and like we made a difference in the lives of others.   When serving others, we feel better about yourself.  When se...

What do you think is the worst sin? How do you think sins are measured? For many of us, we put a value upon the sins of others. We value and place sins into a list or hierarchy in which one is worse than another.  However, when God looks upon our sins, he does not see them that way. What God sees is that we are not producing the goodness and love for which we are intended. Let’s look at the parable that Jesus shares in the scripture for today to understand this more fully.  In the parable, there are two main characters, the Master and the Gardner. The Master is God the Father and the Gardener is Jesus Christ.  Now there is one other character that we should make note of, YOU. You are the tree. We need to truly identify everyone in the parable to fully understand it.  As we look at this parable, we hear that God saw that we (the tree) were not bearing any fruit. We were not producing the love and goodness that we had been created to do.  So the Master, God the Father, tell Jesu...

Today within the gospel, we hear of the temptation that Jesus faced right after his baptism.  Now each of the temptations is significant because they are representing the same temptations and distractions that we have in our life every single day.  They are things or ideas that can distract and actually take us away from God. However, today I want you to take note, not of the temptations themselves but the work and relationship that Jesus had before facing these temptations. Sitting down with each one of you, I could help you discover what it is that your temptation is within your own life, perhaps without you even realizing.  Yet realizing the temptation and realizing what is greater than that, is something that would change our motivation and thus keep our focus on something that is far more important.  Today, I want you to become aware of what is even greater than that temptation so that as you are facing it, you may have the tools and knowledge to overcome and even more ...

Ash Wednesday comes in the midst of our busy lives.  It causes us to slow down and stop to reflect. On Ash Wednesday, we gather together as millions of Christians to be reminded that we have been called claimed and are loved by God’s own Son, Jesus Christ.  Being marked by ashes in the sign of the cross, we are reminded of who we belong to. We are reminded that we are mortal, that one day, we will no longer walk this earth. However, we put our faith and trust in God who claims and promises that we will allow being in His loving arms. To put ashes upon oneself, is an ancient tradition.  People would often do this as a sign of mourning with great grief.  It is also echoes within our hearts and minds those who have gone before you, who strived to give you what it is that was passed down to you.  Today, we remember what Jesus Christ has done for us. That we have been brought into Baptism, cleansed of all our sins, and forgiven so that we are in the family of God.  So ...

The account of Good Friday, the people, the hymns, and the emotions.  It takes us back to the graveside of a loved one in our own life. We remember the way the loved one treated us, taught us, and how we honor them in our daily life.  The loved ones who have meant so much for us. The loved ones who gave so much so that we could have the life that we are living. The loved ones who shared their faith with us so that we may be a part of this community today.  Yet it is in this dark hour, in our grief, we comfort each other. Yet in this service does not seem to comforting.  Many of us wonder why it is called good. For a funeral, or even bearing witness to a loved ones final breath on Earth does not seem good.  However, the moment itself does not seem good until we realize what is taking place. This does not happen until much later. Until our ears hear of the promise that is bestowed upon them from God. Now in the pit of despair and grief, darkness seems to overwhelm us and the world around...

Tonight we gather together. The true and the faithful, those who take time out of our busy schedules to come to the Lord’s Table.  Yet we should also be reminded there are those who would betray Jesus because he does not live up to our expectations because we want Jesus to do so much more. We gather at the Lord's Table to be reminded of the feast and the many blessings that God has given to us and to be reminded of the times within our lives that God has interceded for us in places and events that seemed too large for us to take on by ourselves.  We receive the gift that we have longed for, but could not earn for ourselves. Tonight within the Exodus passages, we hear of the first time that God told the people to come to the table. To be saved from death and be released from the bondage of slavery within the land of Egypt. We hear that the people must gather together, sacrifice a lamb on the family’s behalf.  So God will bring judgment against those who do not realize the power and ...

The symbols of the church that are here can be powerful and meaningful, like many parts of our lives, when we do not stop to remind even ourselves, the meaning and purpose can get lost among the hustle and bustle of this world.  Tonight I want you to be reminded of the banners that surround us. The banners that surround us were made by a member of the church. Now stop and think about that, someone did the planning of what it was they were going to create.  Went to the time of gathering the material and then doing the work of putting it together so that you could look upon it for a moment to hopefully spark your thoughts, imagination and your heart to be reminded of a very important aspect of YOUR faith. As you look around the room there are a variety of banners throughout.  On the higher level, we have six. These remain here throughout the year. To my left, your right: We have three rings that represent the Trinity.  For many of us, we struggle to understand the relationship between Go...

For many of us, we have a fear of snakes.  We wonder if they are dangerous if they are poisonous and worse… will we be the victim?   Now most of us have, rarely if ever, encountered a snake. More than likely we have only seen one in the zoo.  However, today in the Gospel, Jesus is giving the disciples and us as listeners an insight that we need to understand.  For Jesus is explaining the very reason and purpose that he must die and in the way in which he shall. Jesus uses history and explains that when the Hebrew People were cursed with snakes among them, they were bitten. They knew that they were going to die.  However, God intervened for them. God did not remove the snakes but rather did something that would seem to many as foolish. God had Moses put a bronze snake on top of a tall pole.  Anyone who looked upon the snake and believed God’s promise that they would be saved would actually be saved. Now think about that for a moment. You are actually bitten by a snake, the venom is in y...

Today within our texts, I am reminded that God does not always show up the way we expect him to be within our lives.  For many of us, we think of God as someone who will bless us. But then when God does not give us what we ask for, then we get upset or wondering what we have done wrong.  However, God is not a genie for us to make a wish on. God is someone who controls many parts of our lives but also allows us to experience our own decisions and the consequences of our choices.  There are times that we are blessed in extraordinary ways that we are aware of but there are other times that we are blessed and no idea of the blessing that we have received. Take, for example, the Old Testament shares with the giving of the Ten Commandments.  We hear what the commandments are but do we have any idea WHY? God gave the Ten Commandments to the people??  When we study this scripture it is often for the Ten Commandments and what they mean for us today but we often do not take the time to realize w...

  Matt 3:13-17 You are called, how shall you serve? Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” This Lenten season, our focus has been on the symbols of faith within the church.  One Ash Wednesday, our focus was on the ash cross that was placed upon our foreheads.  Last week, our focus was on this very building, the structure and the message the building itself conveys to us without saying a word.  This week however, I draw your attention to the Baptismal Font. For...

Today is Palm Sunday.  This is the start of Holy Week celebrations. We hear the story of Jesus coming, entering into Jerusalem, and being among the people.  The people shouting for joy and shouting their praise to this miracle worker, this messenger, and hopefully the Messiah.  The people were lining the streets hoping to see a glimpse of Jesus.  The man they had heard so much about. This man had performed miracles by curing people.  Jesus fed thousands with just a little bit of food. He had spoken and taught in such a way that people knew the message being taught. For those of you thinking, “Man, this sounds lame. It is so old. This would never happen in our modern times.” However, it happens all the time.  Jesus was walking through the town and people were lining up to watch, to cheer, and to get to wave at him.  In our own modern times, we usually toss out candy as well. There may be the local high school band marching. A business will decorate a fl...